What is Healthy diet?

Eating a healthy diet is not about strict limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving
yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving
your health, and boosting your mood.

The truth is that while some specific foods or nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial
effect on mood, it’s your overall dietary pattern that is most important. The cornerstone of a
healthy diet should be to replace processed food with real food whenever possible. Eating food
that is as close as possible to the way nature made it can make a huge difference to the way
you think, look, and feel. By using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and
learn how to create—and stick to—a tasty, varied, and nutritious diet that is as good for your
mind as it is for your body.

The Healthy Eating Pyramid

The fundamentals of healthy eating

While some extreme diets may suggest otherwise, we all need a balance of protein, fat,
carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in our diets to sustain a healthy body. You don’t
need to eliminate certain categories of food from your diet, but rather select the healthiest
options from each category.

Protein gives you the energy to get up and go—and keep going—while also supporting mood
and cognitive function. Too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, but the
latest research suggests that many of us need more high-quality protein, especially as we age.

Fat Not all fat is the same. While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase your risk of certain
diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. In fact, healthy fats—such as omega-3s—are
vital to your physical and emotional health. Including more healthy fat in your diet can help
improve your mood, boost your well-being, and even trim your waistline.

Fiber Eating foods high in dietary fiber (grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans) can help you
stay regular and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also improve your
skin and even help you to lose weight.

Calcium As well as leading to osteoporosis, not getting enough calcium in your diet can also
contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. Whatever your age or gender, it’s vital
to include calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those that deplete calcium, and get enough
magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium do its job.

Setting yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, try to keep things simple. Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to
be complicated. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories, for example, think of
your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Focus on avoiding packaged and processed
foods and opting for more fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Prepare more of your own meals Cooking more meals at home can help you take
charge of what you’re eating and better monitor exactly what goes into your food. You’ll eat
fewer calories and avoid the chemical additives, added sugar, and unhealthy fats of packaged
and takeout foods that can leave you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate
symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.

Make the right changes When cutting back on unhealthy foods in your diet, it’s
important to replace them with healthy alternatives. Replacing dangerous trans fats with
healthy fats (such as switching fried chicken for grilled salmon) will make a positive difference
to your health. Switching animal fats for refined carbohydrates, though (such as switching your
breakfast bacon for a donut), won’t lower your risk for heart disease or improve your mood.

Read the labels It’s important to be aware of what’s in your food as manufacturers often
hide large amounts of sugar or unhealthy fats in packaged food, even food claiming to be
healthy.

Focus on how you feel after eating This will help foster healthy new habits and
tastes. The healthier the food you eat, the better you’ll feel after a meal. The more junk food
you eat, the more likely you are to feel uncomfortable, nauseous, or drained of energy.

Drink plenty of water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many

of us go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common
to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food
choices.